Bottle-stopper



(Modem L. s. HOYT.

- BOTTLE-.STOPPER.

Patented Mar. 17, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS S. HOYT, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO DANIEL E. DEVOE, OF BROOK:

LINE, AND FRANK F. SllIALLEY, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,025, dated March 17, 1885.

Application filed October 11, 1884. (Model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lnwrs S. HOYT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Stoppers, of which the following is a description sufficiently fullJclear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation representing my improved stopper in use, the bottom being closed; Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, side and rear elevations of the same; Fig. 4., aside elevation representing the yoke or binding-wire pushed outwardly and the lever elevated preparatory to opening the bottle; Fig. 5, a rear elevation of the same; Fig. 6, aside'elevation representing the lever, binding-wire or yoke, and stopple in the position they assume when the bottle is open; Fig. 7, a rear elevation .of the same; Fig. 8, a rear elevation representing the stopple and a portion of the bindingwire or yoke detached from the bottle; Fig. 9, a top plan view of the same; Fig. 10, avertical transverse section of the stopple, and Fig. 11 a rear elevation of the cap or body of the stopple.

In the first seven views the body of the bottle is omitted, it not being deemed essential to show the same in order to fully illustrate the improvement.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings. I

My invention relates more especially to that class of bottle-stoppers which are employed with lager-beer, ginger-ale, mineral-water, and similar bottles and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed,

by which a more desirable and effective device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the bottle; B,

the stopple; O, the binding-wire or yoke; D,

the lever, and E the attaching-wire.

The stopple consists, mainly, of a cap or body, G, preferably composed of metal,and the elastic rubber cover H. Projecting from the upper side of the cap at one side of its center there is a thumb piece or flange, w, and from its lower side, at or near its center, a stud or neck, m, carrying at its lower end the oval disk or button f.

The coverHis dish-shaped,and has amouth or opening at its top, which is narrower or of less diameter than its body, and is attached to the cap by forcing the cap through its mouth and permitting the cover tocontract around it, as best seen in Figs. 8,9, and 10,

the space or annular chamber i between the disk f and body of the cap permitting the cover to yieldor stretch, and thus more perfectly adjust itself to any inequalities in the mouth of the bottle when the stopple is forced down into its seat by the binding-wire and lever than would otherwise be possible. The cover is also lessexpensive than the solid rubber plug which is usually attached to the cap of such stoppers, and may be readily removed and a new one substituted when worn out. By constructing the cap with the chamber 2' a greater saving in material is also effected.

The binding-wire or yoke G, which consists of a single piece of wire, passes across the top of the cap, and is provided with two upwardly-projecting bends or loops, 2, which rest against the face of the flangew when the stopple is in'use or the bottle closed. The binding-wire also has two downwardly-projecting arms, z, which are bent near their lower ends to form the coils or springs Z, and terminate in the inwardly-projecting ends said ends serving as journals for said wire.

The lever D is also composed of a single piece of wire bent to form a coil, h, on either side of the bottle, and terminates in the out-' being bent and tied together by the wire 6, as

shown in FigI 1. A coil, (1!, is formed in the attaching-wire at either side of the neck of the bottle, in which the ends o of the lever D are respectively journaled, the ends r of the yoke 0 being journaled in the coils h of said lever.

The yoke O and lever D are made of elastic steel wire, the lever being so bent that its short arms a press forcibly outward against the coils d, while the yoke O is so bent that its arms 2 press forcibly inward against the coils h of said lever.

The body of the lever D stands nearly at a right angle to its short arms a, as best seen in Figs. 4 and 6, and the coils d of the attachingwire E incline inwardly at the top with respect to the neck of the bottle, as best seen in Fig. 1, so that when said lever is raised, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, causing its short arms a to ride up the inclined sides of said coils, the outward spring or expansive action of said arms against the inclined faces of said coils will constantly tend to force said lever back or down against the neck of the bottle into the position shown in Fig. 6.

The coils-h on the lever D are inclined outwardly at the top with respect to the neck of the bottle, or in a direction opposite that of the coils d, as best seen in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, so that when the lever D is raised, as shown in Fig. 4., and the stopple B thrown out of its seat to open the bottle, the spring or contractile action of the yoke will cause its arms 2 to ride down the inclined sides of said coils and force the stopple down onto the neck of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 6, where it will be held by the combined action of the lever and yoke and out of the way of the emerging stream when the contents of the bottle are poured out.

The binding-wire or yoke O is jointed or hinged to the cap G by means of the pin 9. This pin is preferably cast into the flange a: so as to project at right angles thereto, and is then bent down over the binding-wire between the loops t, the loops keeping the stopple at the center of the yoke and preventing it from slipping down ontoeither of the arms 2 when the bottle is open. Instead of two loops or bends t, one may be employed at the center of the yoke, if desired, in which case two pins, will be required-one at either side of the loop.

Projecting upwardly from the cap G at that side of the wire 0 which is opposite the flange 00 there are two short studs, y, standing near the outer ends of the bends t. These studs act to prevent the stopple from being forcibly turned on the binding-wire more than onefourth of a revolution. For instance, when the stopple and the binding-wire or yoke both stand in a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the stopple cannot be turned over the wire toward the studs '1 by reason of the loops 15 coming into contact with the flange w, and when the stopple is turned back or revolved over the wire 0 toward that side of the flange m which is opposite the pin g the loops i will be brought against the topof .the cap when the cap has passed through a quarter-revolution, thereby preventing it from going farther in that direction, and confining the rotary movements of the stopple to the are of a circle corresponding with one-quarter of its circumferen ce; but it hasoccurred that careless or inexperienced persons in using the stopper have tried to turn the stopple in the wrong direction, or to force it to revolve entirely around the wire 0, on which it is hinged, thereby bending or straightening the pin 9 and rendering the stopple liable to become detached or to slide down onto one of the arms 2. To relieve the pin 9 of a part of this strain, the studs y are used, which receive a part of the force eX- erted with the intent toturn the stopple completely around the wire 0, the loopstbearing against the face of the flange w-when the bottom is closed and against the top of the cap G when the stopple has been revolved to its fullest extent in opening the bottle, and the opposite bearing force being divided between the ping and the studs 3 y, or being borne by the studs.

By constructing the attaching wire E as shown, and connecting its ends by the wire 12, it is adapted to fit different sizes of bottles. It also enables the stopper to be readily detached and saved in case a bottle is accidentally broken.

The body orcap Gofthe stopple may be made in any suitable form to receive and hold the cover H, and the chamberi may be omitted, if desired,although I deem itpreferable to use it.

The flange or thumb-piece m serves to assist in opening the bottle, and also in guiding the stopple to its seat in closing it. f

In the use of stoppers of this general character much difficulty is experienced in opening the bottle; also in controlling the stopple after the bottle is opened in such a manner as to prevent it from coming into contact with the emerging stream as the contents are discharged, and in keeping the stopple in proper position for again closing the bottle. The cap is also sometimes'connected to the binding wire or yoke in such a manner as to permit the stopple to be readily revolved thereon, and also to slip down either arm of the wire, so that when it becomes necessary to close the bottle the stopple is in an inconvenient posi-. tion for that purpose. These objections and difficulties, it will be seen, are fully obviated by my improved stopper.

In the use of my improvement the bottle is opened by being held in the hands, with the lever D behind or under its neck and the thumbs resting against the coils Z. The coils are then pushed outward or back, and as soon as they pass the dead-center the lever D will be raised into the position shown in Fig. 4 by the elastic or spring action of the coils Z on the ends 1" in the coils h and by the clasticity of the cover H, thereby releasing the stopple, which will then be thrown from the mouth of the bottle by the expansive action of its contents; or it may be tipped over by means of the flange :20. When the stopple is thrown out of its seat in the mouth of the bottle, the lever D, being released by the yoke O and acting on the inclined coils d, will be forced into the position shown in Fig. 6, thus bringing the inclined coils h of the bindingwire into proper position to force the stopple down against the neck of the bottle, where it will be securely held out of the way of the stream, as before described, until the c011- tents of the bottle are discharged.

lhe use of my improvement in closing the bottle will be readily obvious to all conversant with such matters without a more explicit description.

As the ends of the lever D are passed outwardly through the coils d of the attachingwire E the yoke O is prevented from being accidentally carried entirely across or over the mouth of the bottle to the opposite side of its neck, and thereby getting the,stopple and the lever D into such a position as to render it difficult to close the bottle with facility, which would not be the case if the ends 2) passed inwardly through the coils d,instead of outwardly, and said coils were inclinedinwardly, instead of outwardly with respect to the neck of the bottle.

For convenience of description I have denominated the cap G and its cover' H the stopple, and the cap G, cover H, lever D, attaching-wire E, and yoke 0, comprising all of the parts, the stopper.

I do not confine myself to the use of the studs 1 as they may be omitted, if desired; nor to the use of the wire b for securing the ends of the attaching-wire E, as said ends may beinterlocked and the wire b omitted. Neither do I confine myself to constructing the stopple B as described, as a stopple of any other suitable construction to perform the same func tions may be employed.

My present invention is designed as an improvement on the bottle-stopper secured to L. S. Hoyt and O. A. Shaw, assignees of said Hoyt, by Letters Patent of the United States No. 285,132, dated September 18, A. D. 1883, and is subordinate thereto; and I do not, therefore, in this application, claim anything shown or described in said Letters Patent when in and of itself considered.

As I have made a stopple having the cover H the subject-matter of another application for Letters Patent, the same is not herein claimed, broadly.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a bottle-stopper, the combination of the following instrumentalities, to wit: a stopple adapted to close the mouth of the bottle, a binding-wire or yoke hinged to the stopple, said wire having a spring-coil at either side and inwardly-turned ends, a lever adapted to exert a strain on the binding-wire to force the stopple into the mouth of the bottle, said lever having an outwardly-inclined c011 at either side and outwardly-turned ends, and an attaching-wire having an inwardly-inclined coil at either side, said binding-wire be ng journaled in the coils of the lever by having its ends passed inwardly through the same, and the lever journaled in the coils of the attaching-wire by having its ends passed outwardly through the same, the lever and binding-wire being so bent as to cause them to press constantly and forcibly against the C-OllS in which they are respectively journaled, substantially as set forth. I

2. The combination, in a stopper-fastener, of an attaching-wire provided with outwardlyfiaring coils projecting downward from diametrically-opposite points of the bottle-neck, a lever having outwardlyspringing arms provided with outturned ends, said ends being passed through said flaring coils and said arms resting against the inclined faces thereof, and a yoke connected to said lever, sub stantially as described.

3. An attaching-wire for bottle-stopper fasteners, consisting of a ring-shaped band having bent or hooked ends and provided at diametrically-opposite points wit-h integral coils projecting diagonally downward and outward from the horizontal plane of the ring at approximate right angles thereto, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a stopper-fastener, of a binding-wire or yoke provided with bends, as described, a stopper hinged to said yoke between said bends, and provided on one side of said yoke with an upright ear and on the other side thereof with studs which assist in preventing an undue turning of the stopper on the yoke, substantially as described.

5. The improved bottle-stopper herein described, the same consisting of the attachingwire E, having the coils d, the lever D, having the coils h, the binding-wire or yoke 0, having the coils Z, the stopple B, and the tiewire 12, constructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as described.

LEWIS S. HOYT. Witnesses! G. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE. 

